Mumbai, Sep 4: The political crossfire surrounding the probe into former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane crash intensified on Friday, as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar launched a sharp attack on the ruling MahaYuti government and targeted the 40 MLAs belonging to the rival NCP faction.

Questioning the political leverage and intent of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction within the MahaYuti coalition government, Rohit Pawar criticised their inability to secure a formal investigation despite writing to their own administration.

“40 MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the crash, and they even had to send a reminder letter for it. It is unfortunate that even after sending a reminder to your own government, it gets thrown into the dustbin,” the NCP-SP MLA said while addressing the media.

“If these people had any self-respect, they would have walked out of power immediately. Not everyone possesses self-respect; you have to struggle to maintain it, and that is precisely what we are doing.”

The fresh barrage comes a day after current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Sunetra Pawar responded to concerns raised by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule over the non-registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR).

Sunetra Pawar had cautioned against politicising the tragedy, saying that the Pawar family and the NCP-SP maintained “full faith in the investigating agencies”.

Sule had earlier mounted a scathing attack on the state government over official apathy, contrasting the swift law-and-order actions taken against political leaders like Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Chief Amit Thackeray, with the lack of progress in registering an FIR for her late brother’s fatal crash.

Reiterating his family and personal ties to the late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Rohit Pawar emphasised that his demand for a rigorous inquiry was rooted in both family duty and public interest.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “I am a member of the Pawar family. My surname is Pawar, and the person who passed away was my uncle. As a nephew, it is my effort to see that justice is served to him.

“When a major leader of the state dies under such circumstances, millions of people across Maharashtra, including myself, want a proper investigation. Unfortunately, those in the (MahaYuti) government who called (Ajit Pawar) ‘Dada’ their friend have still failed to deliver justice.”

He also accused the state administration of ignoring their repeated efforts to register a case locally.

“We visited three different places in the state to file an FIR regarding the accident, but no attention was paid to us,” he alleged, warning that “if an FIR in this matter ends up being registered in Karnataka instead, the state (Maharashtra) government should feel ashamed”.

While Rohit Pawar said that he postponed a scheduled press conference where he intended to present new evidence due to additional incoming details, his remarks underscore a growing verbal feud between the rival factions of the Pawar family and the MahaYuti coalition government.

With opposition leaders pledging to take the fight forward independently, the political manoeuvering over the investigation shows no signs of abating.

Pune, Sep 4: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Pune is rapidly emerging as the country’s leading hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with more than 130 centres currently operational and the number expected to cross 800 in the coming years.

He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to positioning Pune as the preferred destination for GCC investments in India. The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of Magnum Ice Cream Company’s Global Business Solutions Centre.

Highlighting that Maharashtra has emerged as the preferred investment hub for Global Capability Centers in India, CM Fadnavis noted that the enthusiastic response from multinational corporations establishing global business centers in Pune is a testament to the city’s business-friendly environment and skilled talent pool.

The Chief Minister explained that Magnum’s Pune centre will generate more than 1,000 direct job opportunities alongside boosting indirect employment. To optimise the company’s global business operations, the facility will integrate artificial intelligence, automated technologies, logistics, and other advanced solutions to streamline manufacturing, distribution, and customer experience operations.

“When the government and the industry collaborate, it creates a robust ecosystem that accelerates investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The state government remains committed to providing all necessary support and a conducive climate for businesses investing in Maharashtra,” he stated.

He further added that this Global Business Solutions Centre in Pune, operating alongside the regional headquarters in Mumbai, will chart a new direction for Magnum’s expansion in Maharashtra. Active measures are being taken to strengthen physical infrastructure across Pune’s industrial sectors — with a special focus on resolving IT infrastructure challenges in Hinjawadi — to make the region an even more attractive destination for GCCs.

Industry department principal secretary Dr P. Anbalagan noted that Global Capability Centres are not merely office spaces, but crucial engines driving the nation’s economic momentum. India has established itself as a global leader in the GCC space, with Maharashtra and Pune playing a pivotal role in this expansion. In Pune alone, demand for commercial office space by GCCs reached approximately 6 million square feet over the past 15 months, while 130 new or expanded GCC units were set up across the state over the last 18 months.

He added that the state government has set a target of hosting 400 GCC companies and over 700 units in the coming period. Currently, Pune hosts operations from companies representing over 30 countries across 20 sectors, employing nearly 10,000 professionals.

Investment and Policy Advisor to the CM, Kaustubh Dhavse, remarked that the relationship between Magnum Ice Cream Company and the Government of Maharashtra is built on trust, reliability, and mutual respect. He added that the Indian-origin executive leadership steering the company globally brings inspiring experience.

In his opening address, Abhijit Bhattacharya, CFO of Magnum Ice Cream Company, credited the state government’s rapid decision-making process for making the global business centre a reality in a short time frame.

He cited Maharashtra’s robust industrial ecosystem, superior connectivity, and proactive administration as key factors in selecting Pune.

Bhattacharya commended CM Fadnavis’s vision to make Maharashtra a premier hub for global business centres and expressed the company’s intent to collaborate with the state on sustainable dairy systems, while also bringing the global ice cream brand ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ to India.

New Delhi, Sep 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a nationwide crackdown on organised syndicates involved in digital arrest crimes, conducting coordinated searches at 89 locations across 20 states under Operation Chakra-VI, the national probe agency said on Friday.

During the operation, the CBI arrested three persons in Haryana and Kolkata for their alleged roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the fraud proceeds, it said.

The CBI has taken over several digital arrest-related cases registered in different states. In three such cases, investigators carried out extensive searches based on detailed financial and technical analysis.

The probe involved scrutiny of bank accounts, online account access data and other digital trails to identify the movement of fraud proceeds and trace the handlers and beneficiaries of the syndicates.

“One of the cases relates to BITS Pilani, where the victim was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months and defrauded of Rs 7.67 crore by scammers posing as police officers. In another case in Gujarat, a victim was digitally detained for three months by individuals impersonating police officers and allegedly defrauded of Rs 19.24 crore. The third case, registered in Karnataka, involves a victim who was kept under digital arrest for a month and allegedly cheated of Rs 15.45 crore,” the CBI said.

The searches resulted in the seizure of banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other material considered crucial to the investigation.

“The seized evidence is being subjected to forensic examination to establish the broader financial and technological infrastructure used by the syndicates to operate across state boundaries,” said the agency.

The CBI also arrested three accused during the operation. Their examination allegedly revealed their roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the proceeds of the fraud.

According to the agency, Akash, a resident of Haryana, received Rs 1.95 crore of the defrauded money in his bank account.

Investigators found that he had opened the account himself and transferred the funds to other accounts on the same day, indicating his alleged direct involvement in laundering the proceeds.

Raja Karmakar of Kolkata allegedly received Rs 1.5 crore of the fraud proceeds in his firm’s account. Jyoti Rani, whose account received part of the defrauded amount, allegedly withdrew some of the money in cash and transferred the remainder to other accounts to conceal its trail, the agency said.

The action comes amid growing concern over the spread of digital arrest fraud, in which cyber criminals impersonate police officers, government officials and other law-enforcement personnel to intimidate victims and force them into transferring large sums of money.

The Supreme Court has also directed the CBI to take concerted action against perpetrators and the wider networks facilitating such crimes.

The CBI said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend other members of the wider network. Further investigation is underway, with the agency maintaining that it will pursue those involved in digital arrest crimes and organised cybercrime in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.